Between the Lines and Behind the Scenes
by BadWolfIsMe
Summary: When Rose and the Doctor land on a deserted planet, they are instantly thrown in at the deep end as voices come in the darkness and the Doctor is taken from his Rose, leaving her to save him for once! But what do the rumours curculating Rose mean?
1. Destination Unknown

**no faffing about this time! straight on with the story!**

**REVIEWS please!!**

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"Hold onto your hats ladies and gentlemen, we're going down!" Rose shouted, clinging onto the rocking centre of the TARDIS, he body being thrown about. The Doctor grinned at her and flicked a few more buttons, sending her flying across the control room, she managed to regain her balance just quick enough to make a very elegant landing on both her feet at the other end of the room, quickly lasing her arms around one of the tell pillars next to her. In her best pilot voice, Rose spoke again, "Pardon me ladies and gentlemen, it appears we're experiencing some turbulence, but we'll have it sorted in a jiffy, don't worryeeeekkkk!" Rose squealed as the whole TARDIS moved onto its side.

"Hold on!" the Doctor grinned as Rose was thrown back to the control desk, only just managing to stop herself from falling on top of the Doctor as he flicked one last switch and the TARDIS suddenly felt as though it upside down and Rose had to cling onto the Doctor's skinny form to keep from ending up on the roof. He looked behind him to where Rose was stood and they began to laugh. In another instant, the TARDIS underwent a sickening lurch as she righted herself and landed in an unknown destination, sending the two passengers spread-eagle across the floor.

Lying next to each other, the wind knocked out of them, it only took Rose and the Doctor one glance at the other before they were both rolling about in hysterics neither caring for the moment about where they were, or how badly that last landing had been. That's what they loved about each other, was the way it was all so funny, and the way it just didn't matter.

The Doctor was the first to recover from the little accident, and he was one his feet reaching out a hand to help Rose up as well, who was still giggling on the floor. Rose took his hand, and the Doctor pulled Rose about half way up, then, with a wolfish grin, he let go and she fell back in a heap, laughing as much as she used to be. The Doctor chuckled to himself, before offering her his hand again.

"Oh, you don't honestly think I'm dumb enough to fall for that one again do you?!" she declared, shaking her head and getting up by herself. The Doctor decided not to answer that question, instead he continued to grin at her until she hit him over the head. Then the chase was on and Rose tore across the TARDIS, but the Doctor anticipated her every move, racing after her around the control desk, always just too far behind.

Rose looked back and grinned at the Time Lord at her heals, laughing as he reached out to grab her, but missed by a fingerbreadth. In the moment it took Rose to look back, however, she failed to notice the wire lying on the floor of the TARDIS from last time the Doctor was 'fixing' some controls and hadn't bothered to clear up properly. It only took a second for her foot to entwine in the wire, and a second longer for her to keep running, unaware of the wire around her foot, then she tripped and fell to the floor, a triumphant Doctor leering over her. Of course, the Doctor had seen the wire previously, and had stayed just out of reach to give her the false impression of an advantage while really he was just setting her up… Or maybe he noticed when she did… But he'd never let her know that.

"That'll teach ya!" he laughed, as a disgruntled Rose untangled herself from the abandoned wire and gave him a sour glare. Still laughing, the Doctor bent over to pull his Rose to her feet, his hand just brushing the back of her neck as he gripped her arm in a gentle hold, helping her up. For a moment, they were standing so close, he could feel her soft breath against his face, and then she had moved away and was walking over to the opposite side of the room, reaching to get her denim jacket from where it hung on the rail by the door on top of his own, brown overcoat.

She felt his eyes on her as Rose pulled her jacket over her thin form, and turned to meet his gaze with a steady look. He blushed a little when he realised she'd seen him watching, but she pretended not to notice as she smiled at him, her eyes glittering slightly in the gentle light of the TARDIS. He returned her smile eagerly and bounded across the room to stand next to her, reaching over her to grab his own coat. He caught her eye for a second as he leant close to her face, but then the eye contact was broken, and he pulled the long jacket around himself.

"So…Where are we?" Rose asked, biting her lip slightly as she grinned at her guide and companion. He decided not to reply, merely winking in her direction and nodding his head towards the door, a cheeky grin across his face, "Seriously Doctor, where are we?"

"That would be telling!" he grinned as he stepped past her, his hand reaching out to open the door, "But if you wanna spoil the fun…"

He stopped midsentence as Rose rushed past him, standing in the way of him and the door, just like he'd known she would. He grinned again, and so did she, before she turned and opened the door, blinking against the harsh light of the new world.

.o0o0o

"The woman has just stepped out, she's ours now."

"She is alone?"

"Well, no, she's with a man, but he is unarmed. Harmless."

"Never underestimate the power of an unarmed man. Sometimes they can be the most dangerous."

"Do you want us to eliminate the threat, sir?"

"No, just watch him, make sure he does not get in our way. They're unarmed, they must be like that for a reason, no-one's unarmed for no reason."

"Yes sir. And what about the girl? Do you want us to move at once? It would be easier to do it before she gets a feel for the place."

"Not yet. She must trust you. Must believe what you say. Get in between her and the man. It is important that he does not get in your way. Nothing must go wrong."

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

.o0o0o

"So what is this place? Where and when are we?" Rose asked, her arm wrapped through his as they walked across an empty field of lush purple grass, the bright sun glaring down at them. Rose had long ago shrugged of her little jacket, and it now lay, unused, in her spare arm. She wondered how the Doctor wasn't too hot in his large overcoat, but then again, he was so different to her, she didn't really think about it for too long.

"I'm not actually sure…" he murmured, unwilling to admit to Rose that the TARDIS had brought them here for some reason, but she had refused to give him the coordinates, so he had just as little clue as to where they were as she did for once!

A bit of paper blowing in the breeze caught the Doctor's eye and he reached out, snatching it from the air to hold in front of him.

"What is it?" Rose asked, as the Doctor flipped over the card a couple of times.

"Ah! There!" she jumped a little as the Doctor suddenly held out the card and placed one hand on top of the other, the card sandwiched in-between.

There was a small buzzing noise, and a gentle glow issued from between the Doctor's fingers. He smiled softly and lifted his top hand off the card, which was now shooting a white light in a tunnel-like circle above it. Rose barely had time to register what was happening before a tiny figure appeared in the light. It was almost as though he was made of the light himself, Rose thought, as the man flicked long, slender wings twice, before greeting his audience.

"Hello. My name is Fridric, thank you for calling. Unfortunately, there is no-one at the office right now, but leave a personal message and someone at Gespollian Inc will get back to you as soon as they possibly can. Otherwise, I can help with most queries, but not complaints, I'm afraid. Now, how can I help you?"

Rose looked up to the Doctor, unsure about whether this was a recording or not. Her first instinct was that it was a recording, but it looked so alive, and was looking from Rose to the Doctor in the sort of expecting way it only could if it could really see them, there, right then.

To test her theory, Rose moved around the card to stand next to the Doctor. _Fridric_'s eyes followed her, when she went, and she felt a kind of cold chill through it's gaze.

"What is it?" she whispered to the Doctor, who hadn't given her any hints, rather just watched the little…well, _man_.

"I am not an _it_," the man corrected, insulted, "I am a _he_."

The little man looked up at Rose with deep, intoxicating, blue eyes. He looked intentionally like a human, only more muscled, and with a pair of beautifully shaped, strong, stunning, dragonfly wings sprouting out of a shirtless back. His body was strange, almost as though he was _part_ of the light surrounding him, not just in it, and his skin had a curious texture to it. Rose couldn't tell whether he was clothed, or whether it was merely his own skin, thicker where a pair of trousers should be, and coloured a more greeny than the rest of his golden-light form. He had dark brown hair, swept back from his face by an invisible force, and, although it looked as though it would fall into his eyes at any moment, it appeared that some sort of wind was constantly blowing it back. Looking closely, Rose noticed that he had webbed fingers, and wasn't wearing any shoes, revealing webbed toes to match. Another strange thing about him was the fact that he didn't seem to blink, and when he did, it seemed to be a great effort for him to close his thickly-lashed eyelids. He was quite beautiful, and Rose almost felt paled in comparison.

"Yes, and quite right too! Please don't mind my friend, she's a bit slow in the head," the Doctor tapped Rose on the head with his knuckle, just for good measure, "But, umm, if you don't mind me asking, what is this place? Why are they no people around?"

"The people of Knox are all inside the buildings, surely everyone knows that! No-one ventures out into the sun anymore, not since _it_ started coming! But shhh, we must not speak of it! To hear it's name it comes running, flying from the sky and…! Oh, too many a-time have I been in the hands of someone when _it _has come! Just let it's name slip once and…"

"Yes, yes, thank you! I think we'd better get inside then, don't you Rose?"

"The female is _Rose_? _The _Rose?" the creature looked up, instantly and visibly interested. Rose felt the Doctor's hand tighten around her own as he peered down at the little man. She squeezed his hand softly when she saw him tense and prepare to speak.

"It's okay," she told him, and then she spoke to the man in the light, "Um, hi, I'm Rose and umm, how do you know who I am?"

"So you _are_ her!" he declared, a wistful look in his eyes. The Doctor cleared his throat and Fridric came back to his formal self, just a little quieter than he was before, and a little more rushed, as though he was afraid of being caught giving out this information, "Legend tells of a woman with amazing powers. The woman who will bring us out of the dark and into the light. The stories say she is the flower, the one who will allow the planet of Knox to blossom in the sun once more, without fear of _them_. The legend says that there will be a woman, a lost girl, a traveller, someone who has seen the darkness and fought for the light. She will bring the planet back to the way it used to be. Back to the way it should be. For a while that name was _Wolf_, but someone came up with _Rose_ a long time back, before the city was forced into the dark, and we have waited for our flower, for our Rose, for such a long time!"

Rose felt the Doctor's hand tighten around her own, and he breath caught slightly as the word _Wolf_ was said, but at no mention of _bad_, she recovered quickly, and managed to keep looking more or less indifferent all through the small, light-man's speech.

"Is it true? Are you her? Are you our savour?" The man continued, and the Doctor's frown increased.

"I don't know… Maybe…?" she looked at the Doctor for guidance.

"You sure it was _just_ Rose?" the Doctor asked, clearly confused, "Are you sure there wasn't a man in the legend?"

"No, no, no! It quite clearly speaks _only_ of a Rose. And she must undergo the last stage of the journey completely alone, else all will fail, and Knox will never leave this ongoing darkness!"

Rose looked at the Doctor again, "It can't be me, not if it's not you as well? Right?"

The Doctor just shook his head, "I don't know," he answered, truthfully. "Anyway!" he continued, addressing the man again in a cheery voice, "We'd best be off, gotta find out more about this legend, eh, Rose?!"

Fridric looked pleased that they were taking his information so seriously, but at the same time, he seemed reluctant to let them leave him, "Good luck then. The fate of Knox rests in your hands."

"Good to know!" the Doctor replied, making to cover the small card again with both hands, dropping Rose's to do so.

"Wait!" the creature shouted, just before the Doctor closed his hands around him, "Before you go, you should know this! The evil one, the Wane, she will only see the Rose alone, but you must not let her look directly at you if you wish to live. Go well, Rose, our savour, and know that the citizens of this planet will always be behind you 100%!"

The Doctor nodded and moved to close his hands again, while Rose smiled gratefully. As he closed the tunnel of light, and the Gespollian faded from view before he could say anything else.

Once the man and the light had completely vanished, the Doctor threw the small card to the ground distastefully, his eyes watching it float on the wind. Rose observed the Doctor carefully, his face unreadable, but that didn't stop her from trying. She had always prided herself on the fact that she could often read him, even when he thought he was covering up his emotions well, and to anyone else, he was. Today, she knew what he was thinking, just like she always did, but she would never tell him, never let him know just how much she knew about all those things he kept hidden from her.

Rose's eyes never left the Doctor's empty face, and neither moved until the card finally came to rest on a tuft of grass. Once it had completely stopped moving, Rose stepped forward and picked it up, pocketing the card containing the small man, who clearly knew more than the Doctor did about the place they had come to. The Doctor frowned as the scrap of card went into Rose's jacket pocket, but she didn't explain why she had chosen to keep it. And she didn't plan to tell him that the reason was that she knew the Doctor knew very little about this planet, even though he would never admit that to her! It was just the idea of someone who knew the planet, and knew the legend that they had recently been informed of, being close to her, made Rose feel a whole lot more comfortable with staying.

.o0o0o

"The child had heard the legend. We move now?"

"Hold on. She has the card?"

"Yes sir, but she can not know what it is, there is no possible way."

"What about the man?"

"He can not know either, they are both as ignorant of our planet as we are of theirs."

"Good. Make sure it stays that way. Monitor the card, wherever they go, it'll go, make sure we always know where that is."

"Very good sir, anything else?"

"Yes, let's send our friends from far away a little greeting present, to welcome them!"

"Happily sir!"

.o0o0o

They walked, hand in hand, across the purple grass, marvelling at the beauty, and the emptiness of their surroundings. Rose had to grin up at the Doctor on more than one occasion, finding him grinning happily back at her, despite the situation and the problem they found themselves faced with.

Rose loved this. She loved the fact that they were facing a potentially life-threateningly dangerous… thing, and yet they were still walking across fields, happily holding each others hand and grinning, just because they _could_. She loved the feel of his skin, and the way they kept 'accidentally' bumping each other, just to be closer. Rose knew, well, kind of knew, that the Doctor maybe looked on her a little more than just another companion, and she had realised a while back that he was slowly finding his way into her own heart.

The Doctor was also wonderfully happy. His mind, although scorched with worry for his friend, was blissfully satisfied with walking through an abandoned countryside with his Rose. In fact, he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be than right there, right then.

But something Fridric had mentioned still bothered him. He had said that the planet was still heavily populated, but they stayed inside out of fear. But fear of what? So far, the Doctor hadn't noticed anything that he could see to force people inside. Maybe these 'things' were invisible? _But that would just be stupid! Invisible things that no-one can speak the name of forcing an entire race to live indoors, afraid of the light, and the outdoors,_ he convinced himself. Yet he still couldn't get the idea out of his head. _Something_ wasn't quite right with Knox, and he had to find out what. For Rose's sake, as much as everyone else's.

"It's beautiful!" Rose breathed, stopping, and pulling the Doctor out of his thoughts.

Looking up, "Yes, it is," he agreed. Rose turned to look at him, and found the Doctor's eyes not on the bird, like hers had been, but watching her with careful amusement.

"What?" Rose asked gently, a soft tinkling in her voice that was like music to the Doctor.

Self consciously, he took a step forward, towards her, and Rose titled her head just the tinniest little bit, in a way that her lips just caught the light of the fading sun, making them glitter in the most wonderful way. He moved even closer to her, his hands finding hers between their almost-touching bodies, and he held them tight, softly stroking her palms with his thumbs.

He was about to move his head when the nose of a branch snapping brought them back to themselves. Without releasing her hand, the Doctor looked all around for the source of the noise, but there was _nothing_. At all. No life. There wasn't even any branches around to snap. Rose moved closer to the Doctor and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, still scanning their surroundings.

"Let's go," Rose nodded in agreement, holding the Doctor's hand ever tighter, still looking around for the noise. As they turned away, Rose just noticed the bird had also disappeared, with no trace of it ever being there left, and she hurried to keep up with the Doctor's now-quick pace.

"What do you…" but she was cut off by the Doctor's 'shush!' before she could finish asking what he thought it was. Immediately, she tensed up, and her grip on his hand tightened ever more, but that was okay, cuz the grip he had on her own had also increased.

Before she could say anything, the Doctor had pulled her to his chest, and he held her there tightly, her face buried deep in his shoulder. "Don't move," he whispered, his arms softly stroking her back in a futile attempt to calm her increasing nerves. Tensing, Rose shuffled slightly in the Doctors grip, just enough so she could make out his expression.

It was calm, but also deep-set, as though he was made out of stone. Rose knew the Doctor well enough by now to know that face could mean nothing good was about to happen, and she quickly hid her face back in his chest, her arms linking behind his neck to hold him closer to her. She knew this face, and she wouldn't lose him.

Slowly and carefully, Rose felt the Doctor's face lift so he was looking at the sky, and she knew that his expression was still the same. She pretended not to notice the almost-fear in his voice, that he thought he had hidden when a whisper tickled her ear saying, "Whatever you do. Don't look up." She felt him burry his own face in her hair and she moved her arms to hug his body closer as he continued, "Look up and you're dead."

She pretended not to be afraid, but she knew the Doctor would be able to see straight through it as soon as he looked at her, just as she could see through him. And he'd looked up…

"What is it?" she asked, so quietly it was barely audible.

"That doesn't matter. The point is; you mustn't look at it. Rose, just trust me, and don't look."

She pulled herself away from him a bit, just enough to look him in the eyes, and had to fight with everything inside her not to look up. She would have, but she knew him, and knew he wasn't exaggerating when he said whatever this was would kill her if she looked at it. So, with a struggle, she kept her eyes forward and just focused on the Doctor.

As though he could read her mind, the Doctor understood Rose's struggle not to look up, and he pulled her back to him, keeping her safe. Although she knew he was looking himself.

.o0o0o

"We have the male sir, he has sighted the creature, what will you have us do with him?"

"Let's play with this one… Do nothing for a bit. But we have him in our hands now, and it will only be a matter of time before we lead them both to us."

"The prophesy says that it must just be the girl sir! The man is useless to us so long as they're together!"

"Maybe so, but he clearly means a lot to her, and if we can mess her about a little, maybe she will be easier to destroy. Don't forget, she _must_ be killed, else all fails, and we must not fail!"

"Yes sir."

"Keep an eye on them, but don't move yet. Let's see if we can get in her head first."

"The man cares for her, he will not be easy to overcome."

"The creatures have not failed to overcome a victim before."

"They rarely hold people at their wills for long, and my readings show this man has intelligence of the likes we have never seen before!"

"And yet he is harmless?"

"Quite harmless, we think, but the creature may not be able to hold him for long without burning both their minds."

"We can spare one creature for this purpose, and the man would be preferable alive and usable, but if he must burn out, then it is irrelevant so long as we get the woman."

"Yes sir. When would you like us to move?"

"Not just yet. Let them think they've won for now. I will summon you when the time comes to do any more."

"As you wish sir."

"And call off the creature, bring it here, I wish to talk to it. In privet."

"Yes sir."


	2. Invasion Of The Mind

**Aaaaaaaaa!!! This chapter is VERY overdue! I know!! So sorry!!! I have had a total blank when it's come to uploading recently!! But that hasn't stopped me writing so you lucky readers have a great supply of new chapters for this and other stories!**

**Anyway, I know it's very late, but if you could find it in your heart to give me a little review once you've finished reading this chapter that would be quite wonderful!!! Even if you just want to tell me off for being so lazy in uploading!! **

**Enjoy!! x**

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Silence surrounded them. There was no noise. At all. The whole place was just… empty. Completely deserted of all life. Rose shivered in the Doctor's arms as a cold wind blew past the figures standing on the hill. What was once beautiful now merely looked sinister, and the slightest movement in a still and silent world was enough for Rose and the Doctor to tense up in less than a second.

It was so quiet, and the creature, whatever it was, had long gone, but the two of them were still unwilling to move should it come back. Tears had dried on Rose's cheeks where they had been cried at the thought of losing her Doctor, but as no danger seemed to be lurking, they had ceased to fall. The Doctor's breath had slowed, and he was standing so still he might have been made of stone, had it not been from his beating hearts, pumping out a rhythm through his chest and into Rose's, keeping her alive as well as him.

Eventually, they could hold on to each other no longer, and they had to reluctantly break apart, watching all around for any signs of movement. Once they were apart, their hands flew instinctively to the other's, clinging with all their might. Rose didn't ask what would happen now that the Doctor had looked at the creature, and he didn't tell her. _We're both afraid of the answer_, she thought, the one that knew and the one that only half wanted to, both were afraid of what would happen next.

Rose was scared, because the Doctor was. He did get scared, she knew this, even though he tried to hide it, Rose always knew when he was afraid, but she was still frightened by him today. The raggedness of his breathing, the way he was looking everywhere for something to come jumping out at them. She knew he would never admit it, but even to an outsider she was sure it would be obvious that something wasn't right with him today. On top of that, she had no idea what had just happened, and the Doctor didn't seem to want to tell her. There was a legend that she was meant to save them, but neither her nor the Doctor actually knew what she was meant to do, and she was meant to do it alone. What had started as a simple trip was turning into something much darker than it had first appeared.

"Well… What now?" she whispered, still clutching the Doctor's hand tight in her own.

"I… I don't know," the Doctor admitted, and Rose felt the guilt in his hearts as though it was in her own, the guilt that he may not be able to save her this time, "That thing… it should've killed me. It should've destroyed me the second I looked into it's eyes…"

"But it let you go…" Rose pointed out.

"Yes. And that's what I'm worried about…" at that, the Doctor let out a scream and doubled up as his body tried to resist some invisible force that was working it's way inside him. Rose stood next to him, unsure of what to do. Cautiously, she stepped towards him, placing one hand on his back and the other slipped around his, her face one of deep concern for the withering Time Lord.

"It's okay Doctor, it'll be okay. I'm here, I've got you," gently talking to him, Rose managed to sit him down on the ground, wrapping her arms around his fighting form. His face was consorted with some deep concentration, and Rose could only imagine what was trying to access his mind at that moment.

Of course, she knew that _something_ was trying to get into his mind, for she had seen this same expression on her Doctor's face many times before, on many planets, with many different aliens all trying to get in there, to hurt him, but none succeeded, as a Time Lord, the barriers he could put up in his head were simply too strong for anyone to break. Nonetheless, the Doctor was clearly struggling to keep his mind his own just then, but there was nothing Rose could do. So she sat there, rubbing his back, whispering words of support when the Doctor's expression weakened, making sure he knew she was there for him. Once or twice he tried to open his eyes, and Rose smiled softly at him, but each time he shut them instantly again, his whole self repulsing against this unseen force battering at his mind.

.o0o0o

"He is putting up quite a fight sir, the creature is in pain."

"But it is getting there?"

"Slowly sir, the man will not be able to continue to keep it out for much longer. But we fear for the creature too, it has never experienced such mind power before, and it is suffering greatly by trying to get through the barriers this man has put up."

"Will it survive long enough to break him?"

"Normally I would say yes, of course, but I'm not so sure with him. And even if it does get through, I doubt it would remain alive long enough for us to use the man's open mind."

"What would happen to the creature if we said let go?"

"Well, it would take some time to recover, but recover it would."

"And the man?"

"His defences would be damaged, certainly, no man can withstand this kind of mind torture without coming out worse for it, even if they do manage to keep the creature out, but how long it would take him to recover, we can only speculate about without knowing more about where he comes from."

"I presumed Earth, like the girl."

"As did we, however, no human could keep the creature out of their minds as he is doing."

"What of the girl?"

"She has not sighted the beast, but she is with the man now, supporting him as he fights. She is afraid."

"Good. Can we make her look at it?"

"It would not be recommended sir, the legend would be better fulfilled if she is untouched."

"Very well. The creature is trying to get in now?"

"As we speak it is fighting his mind, but I do not know how much longer it can take this."

"Would you recommend we release it, try again when it is stronger? You know more about these creatures than I."

"Well, if I may be frank, the creature would be in much better strength if it let go of the man's mind now, whereas the man would continue to suffer for a while, that much we know."

"As you say. Release the creature and bade it sleep. Get it's strength up again. But don't be long about it! We must attack again before the man recovers his strength too."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir."

.o0o0o

Rose kept her arms tightly around the Doctor, her body close to his. She could feel every goosebump down his arm, every shiver he couldn't help but make. She sat next to him, kneeling in the damp grass, no longer caring as the soft, cold moisture seeped through her thin jeans, stroking her flesh. She forgot how easily the pale blue picked up colour and stained, and that she would really rather not have great purple stains down her legs. she didn't care anymore, all she could do was hold the Doctor, gently rubbing his arms and rocking him slowly back and forth, back and forth.

She could've told you the exact moment when the being left his mind, although he didn't visibly change at all. He didn't stop shaking. Didn't open his tightly closed eyes. Didn't untense his muscles. But she knew. Somehow, Rose Tyler knew that the Doctor's mind had stopped being invaded. And she knew that he had won; he was still the Doctor.

Rose closed her eyes tightly and concentrated on the double heartbeat in the Doctor's chest. She listened as it gradually increased to make up for earlier, and then decreased again into a steady rhythm. It was the only sign of what the Doctor was thinking, and the only way she could tell that he was coming back to her.

After what seemed like forever, the Doctor stopped shaking so much and slowly opened his eye to be greeted immediately with arms around his neck so tightly he could barely breath. With a laugh, the Doctor returned the hug, holding himself close to the blond woman by him. It felt so good, the Doctor was reluctant to let go, although he knew what Rose would think if he didn't, but still, he held on for as long as he possibly could, only grudgingly releasing her when he felt her pull away slightly, but he still kept his hand tight around hers.

"It's good to see you!" she laughed, squeezing his hand,

"I didn't go anywhere," he replied, but secretly he was overjoyed to see Rose too, especially after fearing he might never see her again.

"I thought…"

"No." he didn't even let her finish. He wouldn't have let them win, he was stronger than that and he had a Rose to look after, no-one was getting inside his mind without a fight, and a fight that he nearly always won!

… Although, whatever had been trying to get in his mind had been strong, much stronger than he had anticipated, he knew the creatures that dwelled in the skies of Knox, and he had known their skills at getting inside people's minds, and, although they rarely did it, they could keep a prey at their disposal for months without suffering. The Doctor had faced these creatures before, and they were strong, no match for a Time Lord, not intelligent enough to know how to get into a Time Lord mind, but they were strong. The Doctor knew already that there were darker forces at work here than what meets the eye, not creature would've done what they did to him without burning themselves out, but with control, they would've stood a much better chance. He knew there must be a pretty brilliant mind at work here, behind the scenes, especially to get the creature to pull out of the Doctor's mind at that moment, leaving the Doctor tired, and weak to mind invasions for about 4 days, whereas the creature would recover after 48 hours, giver or take. In other words, the creature would be ready for a second attack before the Doctor, and if it succeeded in breaching the Doctor's mind, then Rose was in danger.

"Come with me," he whispered, pulling Rose by the hand to stand them both up. Once on his feet, the Doctor wavered a bit, and Rose had to hold onto him to stop him from falling straight back down. He tensed at her touch, knowing full well that once that creature struck again, especially with that kind of help, then he would be no good to Rose. He had seen inside it's head enough to know their goal, and it wasn't good for his companion. He grabbed her hand and together they began to stumble down the hill towards the town, her supporting him every time he stumbled – which was quite a lot.

.o0o0o

They were walking for ages. Rose had long ago given up trying to get the Doctor to sit down, to rest for a while after his ordeal with the intruders, and they walked in silence. She had tried a few times to make conversation, but had quickly stopped when the Doctor's face consorted with pain every time he tried to speak without stopping – something he refused to do.

She just carried on, half following, half carrying the Doctor as they made their way through the deserted town.

They passed a park, the swings moving eerily in a gust of wind, their old chains squeaking as they moved. A roundabout turned slowly, as though ghost children still played there and the low gate swung open and closed with a sharp bang on un-oiled hinges. Rose shivered as the see-saw turned and slammed the other side down on the old, purple grass, bringing the first side to the top. Together, Rose and the Doctor stopped, mesmerised by the creepy emptiness of the place. There was something about it, something that they couldn't quite place their finger on. They both turned as the memory of a baby crying came to their ears, it sounded far away and it was, it was from another place.

Rose looked at the Doctor, but he didn't return her gaze, he just stared at the park, he echo of a memory playing across his face. Slowly, she slipped her hand out of his and walked towards the swinging gate, holding it still against her hip as she considered.

The Doctor watched her with unseeing eyes, images dancing behind them.

A child swung on the nearest swing, laughing and chatting to his friend. He kicked his legs and went flying up into the air, with her not far behind. They looked at each other and grinned, both trying to reach the top, neither afraid of falling, for they knew the developing wings hidden beneath their clothes would be enough to stop them from hurting themselves. The girl picked up speed and flew over the top of the set, the new chains squeaking in protest as she suddenly brought out a pair of beautiful, pail blue wings. Fluttering them slightly, she stopped, nearly at the bottom and hovered there, holding herself in her seat. She looked at the boy and laughed, tilting her head back so the light of the sun shone on her white neck, illuminating her blue eyes perfectly so they matched her wings. Slowly, she lay further back, her wings working harder to keep her in her seat, and she let go of the chain, the boy watched enviously, his own bottle green wings now out, not quite strong enough yet to support him like hers. carefully, she pushed herself up and back over the top of the swing, taking hold of the chain once again to keep from losing it as she brought herself up. The Doctor could see the concentration on her face, her wings weren't quite strong enough yet for her to fly, and she knew that should her mother come around the corner she would be in big trouble for trying this. But she wasn't afraid, and she brought herself to a controlled halt at the bottom, her wings folding back neatly behind her and her heals digging into the soft ground. Had anyone walked around the corner now, they would have had no idea of the skills that little girl had just shown, and the boy reluctantly folded his back too, as the girl reassured him it would only be a matter of time before they would both be able to fly. They pulled themselves back and began to swing slowly again, chattering contently.

There was a scream in the Doctor's head, and the swings were empty, moving only by the wind. He tore his eyes away and watched the roundabout instead.

Chubby little children held on tight to the bars, squealing for the ginger man flying beside them to create more air with his powerful, red wings, he laughed, and wrapped a strong hand around a metal bar on the side of the apparatus, and beat his wings hard, whizzing the children round and around until the couldn't tell which way was up. The parents on the bench sat their, rocking prams and chatting. One shouted at the man not to go to fast with the kids, but he just laughed, insisting that they didn't see him often enough! All the children had their little wings out, wings that couldn't support a chair yet, but were not developed enough to fold safely away and out of sight, their eyes, hair and wings stood out brilliantly against the haze of colour that the roundabout was turning into as the man flew faster around in a circle. The kids all looked up at him and longed for the day when they could fly as well as that. Their little hands clutched at the cold metal, some of their legs pulled out from under them as they seemed to lose all sense of movement. There was a scream, and the roundabout was empty, the fast rhythm reduced to a slow turning as the multitude of colour faded from view to become an old, unused play thing.

An empty pram rolled through the park, crashing quietly into the bars on the other side as Rose opened the gate and stepped in. Then the Doctor saw.

They were running, those that could flew, mothers forgetting their children as they were blinded. They knew they could only look after themselves. There had been legends about these creatures, and every child, every adult, every being on the peaceful planet knew of them, and knew what to do. Once, they had been everywhere, and then, suddenly, without warning, they had all disappeared. This was about 1000 years ago, and, since the oldest Knoxien was only 500, this had all happened before any of their lifetimes. Still, they all knew the stories, they all knew what to do, and even if next to none of them believed it, they had all memorised each and every step. The first was get out of there. Don't worry about anyone else, not even your children. Just run. Run away. So that was what they all did. They left, running. There was barely any noise as they all left, just the sound of wing beats and footsteps , and the sound of the gate swinging slightly to let everyone through. The boy and the girl on the swings jumped over the fence, their wings just strong enough to keep them air borne for a moment or two, before their feet landed softly back on the ground. They didn't worry about the landing, as that knowledge came naturally to all Knoxiens. Both wings pumped furiously, trying to bring the two not-quite-children-anymore into the air for a quicker getaway, but both were just about still grounded. The girl leapt high, and her wings filled with air for a second, then lost it, she closed her thin eyes, waiting for the ground to hit her, as she knew that she had not thrown herself well and that her wings were not advanced enough to keep her up or to correct her flight enough to lend her safely. She knew she was dead. But the ground never came, she opened one eye, the cat-like slit of her pupil searching quickly for the reason she had not yet hit the ground, and she found herself supported by long, slender wings, wings that's brightness had suddenly increased. She looked down to meet her friends green-eyed gaze, he did not look envious of her flight, he looked happy that she could get away. She grinned at him, for a moment forgetting the dangers around them, and she pulled herself lower, closer to the ground and closer to him, but his face turned to fear and he shook his head. She screamed, but knew it was no use, he shouted at her to get away and she listened, pulling herself out of a dive as a dark shape flew past her, covering him in its darkness. She could still hear him even as she screamed for him, his last words yelling at her to get away before they got her. She screamed, calling for her friend, shouting his name. Closing her suddenly clouded eyes, she batted her newly-found wings and soared away. Away from the park. She knew in that instant that she could never return, this was the darkness, come back.

Rose screamed and the Doctor came out of his trance, just in time to see Rose's frightened face, and then nothing as his world was enclosed in darkness.

.o0o0o

"We have the man sir."

"Excellent. Bring him in."


	3. Surviving

**and the story presses on.**

**made sure not to leave such a big gap between uploading this time hehe! (this has nothing to do with the fact that i wrote this chapter ages ago and forgot lol!) i'm very into this story at the moment, so hopefully (after the next chapter which is also complete) the following chapters should be following one after the other fairly quickly! chap 5 is nearly finished already!!**

**please review!! =] x**

* * *

Rose screamed as a dark shape flew out of the skies and engulfed the Doctor. She tried to shout, to warn him, but he couldn't hear. She went to run towards him, she knew she had to save him from whatever it was, but a tight hand was on her arm in an instant, and she felt herself being lifted up, off the ground, a steady thumping somewhere behind and above her.

"Come with me," a woman's voice, the innocence of a child rippled in it, but the age of an adult was still clear. Rose could tell that whoever had her had seen death, for she had the slight edge to her voice that only came when you had seen the light leave someone's eyes.

_The light left him even before it was upon him. He had no chance, he couldn't fly yet, Jack was just a boy… There was nothing I could do… I just had to leave, had to get out… It was my fault… It had been my idea to go to the park that day… He looked up at me and I could see it in him that he knew he was gonna die. He shouted at me to get away. His wings turned to gray before it could get there. I'll never forget it._

Rose could feel rather than hear the words in her mind, as though her and the girl were almost one. Almost.

She hung limp in the tight grip, confident that she wouldn't fall. She wasn't afraid. In her eyes the Doctor still stood. He had been so far away, seeing something Rose could never see. She had seen the darkness before he had. She had screamed, twice, calling his name, but he couldn't hear. Or at least, he didn't respond. Like the woman, Rose had seen his eyes dim before it got there, but she was sure he was still alive. She didn't know how, but she could almost feel him in her head, feel his double heartbeat carrying on. He wouldn't just leave her there, and she could tell that he was coming back. Numbly, she wondered where she was being taken, and hoped the Doctor would be able to find her wherever she was, before she closed her eyes and exhaustion took her.

.o0o0o

The Doctor opened his eyes slowly, rubbing his temples. _Well that wasn't a good thing_, he spoke aloud, but somehow the words were lost in this place, _now, let's see where we are._

He pulled himself to his feet, his eyes out of focus so all he could see where fuzzy shapes where things were. He worked out he was on a bed of some kind, although it was scarcely more than a shelf, _don't entertain much, eh!_ He said to whoever. He moved around cautiously, hands stretched out in front of him so he – hopefully – didn't walk into anything. he found a basin with a tap, seemingly floating in the air, as he could feel no wall behind it, and only the same thick air as everywhere else in the place below. Shrugging, he turned on what he supposed was the tap and rinsed himself in the beautiful red water. He felt instantly refreshed, and bent down to catch some of the trickling moisture in his mouth, licking his lips clean of the slightly-sparkling, natural water. It was the cleanest drink he was sure he had drank in a long time. _Very nice_, he complimented them,_ if it wasn't for the bed, this could be a hotel, and a good one at that… Now when do you suppose I could have a proper look?_

There was no response. Nor had he expected there to be. Continuing to look around, he found a table at just the right height for him to use standing, the welcoming smell of food wafting to him from just to his right. Looking down, he could see the basic outline of a plate of food. _Lovely_, he thought, more to himself than anyone else, and he promptly ate everything, finding himself suddenly hungry.

" You should be more careful of what you eat Doctor," came a voice once he had finished everything, washing it down with a glass of that fresh, cold water, "You don't know what we could have put in that."

_I don't think you've put anything in it_, he replied in his head, finding his way back to sit on the plank-like bed.

"And what makes you so sure?" asked the voice.

The Doctor shrugged, _if you were gonna do something to me, you would've done it while I was unconscious. Why wait till I wake up to do it?_

"Maybe we want to see you in pain."

_Then why blur my vision. No, I reckon you're gonna hold me here for a bit, keep my healthy, alive, and then you're gonna let me go. With no memory of this place more than a few out-of-focus shapes and the same red water that I can get anywhere on this planet._ The voice seemed to consider this for a moment, and in that time there was silence, for the Doctor could not speak except in his mind, half of which was firmly barred off and a place where they couldn't access. Although it was taking a lot to keep the two parts of his mind separated.

"They said you were clever, but maybe I underestimated you. Who are you Doctor?"

The Doctor laughed out loud, _if you don't know, then I'm not gonna tell you._

"Then you are not as clever as I thought. Good night, Doctor." and then the world went dark.

.o0o0o

"Rose? Rose. Rose, wake up. Rose, we need you to wake up now." Voices interrupted Rose's dreams. She hadn't been able to see much, but she had got a sense that the Doctor was safe. There had been a voice… but she couldn't decide if it had been a man's or a woman's, and the Doctor, but he hadn't seemed to have said anything… although she had gotten feelings from him. "Rose?"

Rose sat up straight, "He's alright, the Doctor, he's safe." She blurted out before even taking in her surroundings.

The people around her looked at each other confused, and someone said something to the girl standing directly over her.

"Hush!" the girl scolded. It was funny, how the girl had such authority in the room, despite being so young. She turned back to Rose, a soft, caring expression on her face, "Who's the Doctor?" she asked.

Rose frowned, "The Doctor. He's just… the Doctor. Don't worry, he's safe, he's coming back soon, they're just gonna hold him there for a bit… I think they want information from him, but it's okay, they don't know who he is, so he's safe." The people still looked confused, and Rose noticed how their eyes looked so much like cat's, from the shape of their eyelids to their slitted pupils. Also, all their eyes were different colours, although they were all strong, despite being pale shades. The girl leaning over Rose had blue eyes, with deeper blue hair just beyond her shoulders to match. "Isn't that why I'm here? To tell you about the Doctor." they still didn't say anything, "We have to help him!" she tried eventually, not understanding why they didn't know who the Doctor was.

At last, however, the man standing behind the blue girl stepped forward, his light red eyes shinning in the half-light, "Of course we will do whatever we can for your friend, but right now you and your safety are the most important things to us."

"I've gotta save him!" Rose asked, instantly. She wasn't used to this. She was used to being hidden, being kept safe so she could save / help the Doctor, but now the Doctor was in danger and no-one seemed to care. Didn't they see that he was the only one who could save them?! And if Rose didn't do something soon, he might die. Well, no, he might not die, and to be honest, she doubted he would die at that moment, but that didn't stop her from fearing for him, and if he wasn't there, then she had no point. She needed him.

She tried to get up, and found herself struggling against six pairs of strong hands, all holding her down on the soft, brown sofa, "Oh no you don't," said the man, firmly, "We have waited too long for you to come to let you mess it up now. You are staying right here." He squeezed her shoulders tightly, Rose would've felt the other hands let go of her if she could concentrate on anything other than where the man's sharp nails were digging into her.

From far away, she heard a woman's voice say, "That's enough, James. She needs to be conscious to help us," and then the pressure on her arms was lifted.

Rose shook all over, taking deep breaths, feeling as though she had just dived underwater for too long and she heard the man – James – apologise. She nodded, clutching to the arm of the sofa to keep herself up. Slowly, she calmed down, and he shuddering breaths became slower and more regular.

"Who are you?" Rose asked once she got her voice back,

"We're Knoxiens, that's our species, Knoxiens. Most of us are dead or in hiding, and have been for about 200 years now. We used to have contact with the other groups, but we have to move places about once a month to stop from being found, so gradually we've lost everyone. I think there are still people out there, little organisations like this one, waiting for someone… for you."

"But who are _you_, specifically?" Rose asked, moving the subject away from herself,

"Oh, sorry! I forgot all about that! How rude of me!" the woman declared, then she smiled, "My name is Sarah, this is James," she indicated to the ginger man who had grabbed her earlier, "He had a bit of a temper on him, so watch out. But then again, he really belongs outdoors, he wasn't meant to be cooped up inside." Rose nodded to him, noting that, despite still appearing young, he was clearly older than Sarah, "This is Callum," Callum's eyes and hair were a deep shade of purple, and he looked nice enough, although Rose wouldn't have liked to be against him in a fight, judging by his massive muscles and serious gaze, "This is Isabelle," Isabelle smiled at Rose, yellow hair knotted in a messy bun at the back of her head, she was clearly the 'mother' of the group and she seemed really sweet. Sarah went round the room, introducing each of the people in turn, only 7 in all, but they seemed like a really strong bunch of 7 people, "We're the survivors." And it was in that sentence, the way it was said firmly, but with a hint of regret hidden behind confidence that Rose realised just what she meant by survivors – they had all watched someone die, one of their friends, of their family, in some cases, Rose thought, looking at James and Callum, more than one. They had watched, and escaped, and never forgiven themselves for the deaths of their loved ones. It wasn't their fault, but Rose knew all too well that feeling that it should've been you.

"Would you like anything to eat?" Isabelle spoke with a strong accent, even if Rose didn't know what it was. Gratefully, she denied food, but accepted a glass of water, which, when it came to her, Rose discovered to be a deep red in colour, with a slight bubble to it as it slipped easily down her throat, leaving her refreshed after just one mouthful.

And then she slept.

.o0o0o

The Doctor re-awoke to the sound of a dull buzzing and total darkness. _Who's there?! _He thought/asked sharply, and it wasn't just noises, someone, or some_thing_ else was defiantly there with him. With a painful lurch, his Time Lord mind opened to search out the other presence.

There was a yelp of pain, and the Doctor became aware of a tall creature with brilliant wings, flapping stressfully but never taking him off the ground.

_That won't work_, the Doctor told him, carefully accessing the other mans mind so they could talk. He felt the man turn sharply and there was a sense of danger in his head. _It's okay_, he reassured him,_ I'm not gonna hurt you. to be honest, I don't think that knife in your hand would even scratch me here. _The man was not comforted, but the Doctor could tell that his weapon had been returned to his belt.

_What is this place?_ The man asked the Doctor, speaking in his head with a deep, throaty voice.

_I don't know. What's your name?_ The Doctor replied, thinking that if he could find out a bit more of the planet and it's legends then he might stand a better chance of escaping, or at the very least, surviving. Because he had worked out by then, that every legend begins somewhere, and there's always a scrap of truth behind every myth.

_My name is Jack, who are you?_

_I'm the Doctor._

Jack took this bit of information without questioning it. The times of questioning things had long left this shell of a planet. A planet he was almost certain they were no longer on.

_Have you got any idea what this place is?_ The Doctor asked, feeling Jack's worries fade a little.

_Not really. I've been in places like this for many a year, and I believe it is more or less the same place, but the security is much tighter here. We used to be able to talk.. but according to the legend, the fact that we can only communicate through our minds is not surprising. I think I know what this place is.. But I can only hope that I'm wrong. _Jack told the Doctor, and the Time Lord could feel the fear and numb understanding he himself felt so often in the Knoxiens consciousness.

The Doctor was just about to ask further when a loud voice filled the 'room' and a sudden white light illuminated the two prisoners.

"Ah, so you're awake now Doctor. And I see that you've met your new roommate."

_What do you want with us?!_ The Doctor thought in harsh reply.

"Ohh, not very happy today now, are we. Am I going to have to reduce your boundaries until you learn to treat your superiors with a little more respect?"

_I'll treat you with__** respect**_, he spat the word 'respect' out distastefully, even in his head, _when you a) earn it. And b) tell me what you want from Rose!_

"So you know about the legend then. Well that will make it a lot easier when the time comes, but for now, you're head has been exercised enough I think. Goodnight."

The room was once again plunged into darkness, and the connection the Doctor had made in Jack's head was broken as Jack faded out of consciousness. The Doctor however learnt to fight the overwhelming power of what he now recognised as a strong, invisible, odourless gas known as Froxide, allowing him to sit on what could nearly be described as a bed and think about his predicament, and send Rose the strength she would undoubtedly need.

.o0o0o

Rose was walking with Sarah in an underground cavern when a splitting pain entered her head, making her double over with agony. Sarah watched, unwilling to touch the strange woman from another planet should what she saw as pain in fact be some important ritual for the Human.

"Jack," Rose finally breathed, coming back to herself. When she opened her eyes, Sarah was staring at her forcefully, a terrible fear in her eyes.

"Jack…?" she whispered, a memory of the boy she had lost dancing in her eyes. She had never told him how she had loved him, and she had never loved anyone even once her old friend had died.

Rose looked at her questioningly, and Sarah told her the story of when the creatures returned. She had only been a child, and it was merely luck that her wings had matured at that moment, else she would have died along with her childhood friend, and secret sweetheart.

Rose's heart went out to the poor woman, who had grown before her time when the golden age of her planet had died. She herself had been forced to grow up when her adventures started with the Doctor, but she had kept most of her childlike innocence, and still felt alive with her youth amongst the unthinkable age of the universe she travelled in.

When Rose told Sarah what she had seen, and that Jack was, somehow, still alive, but with the Doctor in some kind of prison, Sarah obviously didn't believe her at first, but something about the young woman's certainty sparked off something in herself that the Knoxien had not felt since the incredible darkness had come over her planet and her beloved had been taken – now, she realised, literally taken, rather than just his life.

Sarah screamed a call of pure joy, and for a moment her wings shone so brightly it was possible to se the entire tunnel they were standing in from both start and end. With a grin the size of America, Sarah jumped at Rose, engulfing her in a hug so tight for a moment the human couldn't breath, but then she was hugging Sarah back, pleased for her new friend and also pleased that, at last, someone believed her dreams of the Doctor. Although Rose could no longer call them dreams, as she was having them while awake too now.

As Rose explained every detail of the dream at Sarah's request, a numb fear spread from her and the previous warmth that had emitted from her left the tunnel ice cold. Her wings were no longer the brilliant colour they had previously shone with, they were now merely visible, only letting enough light up so that Rose Tyler could see the paleness and the fear her face. The woman who had been standing in front of her before suddenly had the appearance of a child faced with a ghost and Rose felt so very old in comparison.

She felt the fear for her own when Sarah uttered the words, "I know where they are…"


End file.
